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Why Give Birth at Home?

This is one of the safest places to have a baby.

In Ontario, around 20% of people in midwifery care plan to have their babies at home. They’re in good company: for more than 20 years, midwives have attended over 49 000 home births in the province and currently attend about 4 000 home births a year.

Midwives are the only primary care providers in Ontario who receive extensive education and training to help you safely give birth at home. If you are experiencing a low risk pregnancy, there is excellent quality research from Ontario showing that important health outcomes are similar whether you plan a home or hospital birth under the care of a midwife.

There are many reasons people plan a home birth with a midwife. Ontario-based research tells us that midwifery clients who choose home births have many things in common.

They:

value a birth without medical intervention (if not needed)

are confident in their ability to give birth

find their home a supportive and comfortable environment

feel more in control in their home environment

prefer to move freely in familiar surroundings

want to eat and drink as they like

believe labour will go faster in the comfort of their own home

prefer to avoid an epidural

believe recovery from birth will be easier where they are most comfortable

believe that home birth is safe, responsible choice for themselves and their babies

Watch this video to see how Rebeka decided to plan a home birth with midwives.